Cleopatra and Frankenstein

𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐈𝐍 by debut author Coco Mellors has the dangerous distinction of being compared to such books as 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 by Emma Straub and 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 by Sally Rooney. Those are big shoes to fill, but for me Mellors has done it. So, let me say right at the top that I thought her writing was simply exquisite. A pure pleasure to read. Bravo!⁣⁣Cleo and Frank meet while leaving a New Year’s Eve party in 2007. She’s 24 and on a student visa that’s expiring in six months. He’s the 45ish owner of a successful New York marketing firm. Theirs is a whirlwind romance that ends in a marriage that takes most everyone by surprise including themselves. That’s the basic setup for 𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯, but the story is really what happens after: how two people who barely knew each other can make a go of their marriage, or not. It’s also about how the people in their lives feel about the couple and how that impacts their relationship. ⁣⁣This is a story that delves into how two people can truly love each other even when they don’t seem to be able to fit together. It’s a story steeped in excess and touched by mental illness. It’s a love story, but not a romance. It’s dark, but not crushingly so. It’s hopeful, but not overtly. It’s a book I highly recommend to fans of Sally Rooney or even to those who find Rooney just a little too dark. 𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯 will give you the same feel, but won't leave you crushed. I loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣⁣Thanks to @bloomsburypublishing for an electronic ARC of #cleopatraandfrankenstein.

What a refreshing take on life, love, and heartbreak.I have been seeing this book everywhere and I finally decided to pick it up to see what all the fuss was about. It did not disappoint. This book is beautifully written and focuses on a group of friends that are all just trying to do the best they can with what life has dealt them. This book is character driven so if you are looking for a beautifully story about loss and love this book is for you.Side note: it totally give off Gatsby vibes

Slow moving , beautifully written, a little too wordy at times. Overall a beautiful story of complex characters.If you like sitting with the characters and watching character growth , you would like this book.

Great book. Real characters, tough themes, amazing writing. There was not one paragraph that I glazed over. I devoured every word. There were multiple lines that I laughed at, which is rare. I recognize humor and jokes in books but it truly is another tier to make me laugh out loud. Sometimes I feel like good books have a great beginning and middle, but lack an ending that make the entirety of the book great, but all three parts of the book were excellent.My one gripe - the copy I got, which is the one I wanted and is very beautiful by the way, was really stiff. The pages were thick and holding a 400+ page book became unforgiving at times and made my hands hurt when holding it. Something small but rather noticeable. Buy it anyways.

The book held my interest well enough but I really disliked most of the characters. I need to relate to at least one character in a book and there was not that character in this book

Hands down the best book I’ve read this year. I’ve recommended it to many friends and random people at Barnes and Noble. The author is witty and funny but also personable. I want to be her friend

Glad I finished I was not sure what outcome I was expecting or excited for but I like the one it gave.

"Really well written" is sometimes a synonym for "book to be read by someone who is independently wealthy, well-rested, semi-employed and in possession of extravagant amounts of leisure time.' Most of us who love a good story get twenty minutes a day (before we collapse from exhaustion) to devote to a new read. This book is extremely well written, but also easy to return to and love. It's one of those stories that makes you not want to start another book. It was that good. It makes you wish the characters were real people, and that you could follow up on how they were doing. Coco, do you read your reviews? Sequel please! Love, A Fellow Writer and Grateful Reader.